The all-electric vehicle range of the 2013 Chevrolet Volt will be 38 miles on a single charge, three miles more than the 2012 model.
GM claims that the ‘miles per gallon equivalent (MPGe)’ will increase from 94 miles to 98 miles and the total range, including extended range operation, will be 380 miles.
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GM said that engineers made minor changes to the material composition of the battery cell chemistry, resulting in improved performance and durability. Manganese spinel chemistry remains the foundation for the Volt’s battery system, but the amount of each material has been slightly modified to provide better life performance, GM says.
“The best way to explain what we’ve done at the cell level is to compare it to a cake batter recipe. Sometimes if you use more sugar and less vanilla you get a better tasting cake. We’ve done some work at the cell level to modify the ‘ingredients’ to make a better end result,” said Bill Wallace, GM director of Global Battery Systems Engineering.
“This attention to detail will allow our customers to experience more pure EV range, which is the true benefit of owning a Volt.”
The improved EV range capability will result in ‘slight increases’ to the Volt’s charge times. A full recharge using a 120V could take 10.5 hours and 4.25 hours using a 240V charging unit.
